The invention relates to an asymmetric directional tread for a pneumatic tire. The tread is particularly well suited for use on high performance radial tires.
Sports car and high performance vehicle enthusiasts require tires capable of high speeds, good cornering and turning response, steering responsiveness, and good braking responsiveness.
The vehicles currently available can put extremely high design requirements on the tires. Vehicles such as the Corvette ZR-1 for example are capable of reaching speeds above 180 mph.
To accommodate these vehicles, tires specifically adapted to performance vehicles have been developed. These tires are known in the art as speed rated tires. For example, Z rating means that the tire is designed to withstand over 146 mph speeds while under normal load for over 10 minutes.
The ability to survive high speeds is only one factor the tire must meet. The high performance tires must also provide good traction under dry, wet, and snow covered road conditions. The tire ideally should permit the vehicle to perform to its full design potential. That is the tires should be capable of maintaining traction or grip in high speed turns, transfer the acceleration torque the engine produces to the road without spinning the tires, provide braking traction at high speed capable of stopping the vehicle in as short a distance as feasible without damaging the tires, and provide a tire with reasonable tread wear.
To meet the needs of these high performance vehicles, improvements in tires have been required.
The present invention provides an asymmetrical directional tread for a pneumatic tire. The tread is particularly well suited for high performance radial tires.